The Modern Chair: Classic Designs by Thonet, Breuer, Le Corbusier, Eames and Others by Clement Meadmore, Breuer Thonet, Eamers Le Corbusier. The evolution of the modern chair follows closely - and sometimes leads - the immense technological changes of this century that have affected almost everything we do as well as the changes in architecture that now define how we live, work and play. The professional designer and the layperson alike will find this work a fascinating and well-organized reference to be the evolution of design and the affect design has on our daily lives. You'll never sit in a chair again without thinking about it.

The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention by Donald Albrecht (Editor), Beatriz Colomina, Joseph Giovannini, Charles Eames. Published on the occasion of a major international traveling exhibition organized by the U.S. Library of
Congress and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany (holders of the two richest Eames
collections in the world), this comprehensive volume is a testament to the Eameses' belief that good design could improve people's lives. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the prolific husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames designed furniture, buildings, exhibitions, and interiors, and made films. They are perhaps best known for the form-fitting chairs that were mass-produced using the same techniques the Eameses developed in their first apartment. Taking a multifaceted approach to their multifaceted careers, this comprehensive, clothbound volume with French folds includes a filmography, making clear the pair's profound influence on the visual vernacular of the 20th century.

The Architecture Pack: A Unique, Three-Dimensional Tour of Architecture over the Centuries by Ron Van Der Meer and Deyan Sudjic. A work of art in itself, The Architecture Pack is a highly sophisticated version of the beloved pop-up book that offers a unique, cross-cultural, three-dimensional tour of architecture through the centuries. By flipping the elaborately engineered pages, we learn what architects do, how they do it, and all about the
great buildings of the world from antiquity to the present. It's packed with information and hands-on
activities, models, fold-outs, pop-ups, and 3-D glasses; readers can even fold out a miniature version of the Colosseum in Rome or a French Gothic cathedral. There are discussions on the development of the
dome, new materials and shapes, sculptural buildings such as those of Gaudi and Le Corbusier, and
skyscrapers. Also included in the pack are a model (with assembly instructions) of Gerrit Rietveld's
famous, flat-roofed Schroeder House; a glossary of architectural terms; a fold-out time line of the history of architecture and architects that runs from 2670 B.C. to A.D. 1997; and a cassette tape. This
wonderfully accessible introduction to architecture is sure to generate enthusiasm from both children and adults, simply because people can have fun with it.

Godel, Escher, Bach : An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter. Everything is a symbol, and symbols can combine to form patterns. Patterns are beautiful and revelatory of larger truths. These are the central ideas in the thinking of Kurt Gödel, M.C. Escher, and Johann Sebastian Bach,
perhaps the three greatest minds of the past quarter-millennium. In a stunning work of humanism, Hofstadter ties together the work of mathematician Gödel, graphic artist Escher, and composer Bach.

Gödel, Escher, Bach, a Pulitzer prize-winning treatise on genius, explores the workings of brilliant people's brains with the help of historical examples and brainteaser puzzles. Not for the dim or the lazy, this book shows you, more clearly than most any other, what it means to see symbols and patterns where others see only the universe. Touching on math, computers, literature, music, and artificial intelligence, Gödel, Escher, Bach is a challenging and potentially life-changing piece of writing.

Buckyworks : Buckminster Fuller's Ideas for Today by J. Baldwin. Often alluded to as a 20th-century Leonardo da Vinci, R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was a visionary of the modern age. As an architect, inventor, engineer, writer, mathematician, and educator, his utopian humanism was evident in the way he devoted his life to designing objects, including buildings and cars, that would solve many of the problems of modern living. He was an early proponent of geodesic domes--semispherical structures made up of incredibly light and extremely strong triangular components - which he recommended for economical and energy-efficient housing and other purposes. An entire chapter in this engaging book is devoted to domes; other chapters cover Fuller's far-reaching ideas on the Dymaxion House, Dymaxion Transportation, Synergetics, and Megastructures. ("Dymaxion" was a term Fuller coined to describe getting the most output from minimal input of energy and materials.) With more than 200 black-and-white photos and drawings, this is a wonderfully nontechnical introduction to and celebration of the man, his remarkable inventions, and their modern-day relevance.

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman. Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans--from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools--must read this book, and it is an equally tremendous read for anyone who has to use anything created by another human. It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design and the desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed. Highest Recommendation.

Furniture by Design : Design, Construction, & Technique by Graham Blackburn. Unlike a lot of woodworking and furniture design books, Graham Blackburn does not just lay out the plans and dimensions and list the materials and tell you what to do. Instead, he discusses, in a very literate way, the basic tenets of design and furniture making, and writes with respect for the reader's ability to understand and succeed in designing his or her own furniture. He encourages the would-be furniture designer to work with materials at hand, not just the finest (and most exhorbitantly expensive) hardwoods, and treats furniture design and construction not as a goal, but as a process, using one's brains and one's hands to create one's own singular and pleasing furniture. An unusual approach and a very satisfying read.

Design for Success : A Human-Centered Approach to Designing Successful Products and Systems by William B. Rouse. Using a comprehensive methodological framework for human-centered design of complex systems, it covers four phases: naturalist, marketing, engineering, sales and service. A wide variety of tools and techniques are discussed within this framework, with illustrated case histories introduced early and developed throughout the chapters. This thorough and consistent framework for design, in combination with numerous ``how to'' tips, provides the reader with a self-contained, applications-oriented plan with which to pursue design concepts.

Architectural Graphic Standards by Charles Ramsey, Harold Reeve Sleeper The classic reference used by architects and builders since 1932. No other source contains as much information in such an easy-to-use and convenient format. Totally revised and updated this edition is organized according to the CSI Masterformat3. Each chapter opens with an introduction which provides an overview of the topic and essential data. Integrates material offered by the update program into the main text and brings the book into compliance with ADA requirements and other building code changes made over the past six years. Features a new section on building types and an expanded one on energy and resource conservation.

Fine Woodworking: Design Book Seven: 360 Photographs of the Best Work in Wood For inspiration or just to longingly drool over the best of the wood craftstman's art. These artisans bend and stretch the rules of traditional joinery to acheive their visions.

The 1995 Accessible Building Product Guide by Julee Quarve-Peterson, John P. S. Salmen An extensive resource for anyone involved in designing, building or operating buildings that must be accessible (including compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act). Presents more than 650 products (from 400+ manufacturers) for use in creating accessible commercial, residential and recreational facilities. Product chapters include a discussion of how a product is used, a list of desirable features to assist buyers in selecting appropriate models, a generic illustration of the product and a roster of available manufactured products. The CSI number, a brief description, features and the manufacturer's name and address are provided for each individual product entry.

The Ada in Practice by Deborah S. Kearney A second, updated, revised, and expanded edition of The New ADA: Compliance and Costs. This edition updated changes to the law and legal precedents from settled cases. A new chapter describes how to manage ADA, OSHA, and Workers' Compensation requirements. Includes an illustrated Compliance Product Selection Guide, plus a new chapter with 25 low-cost compliance solutions.

Accessible Design Review Guide: An Adaag Guide
for Designing and Specifying Spaces, Buildings, and Sites by Robert R. Grist (Editor), Mary Joyce Hasell, Rocke Hill, James l West This technical guide to designing and specifying spaces, buildings and sites covers everything from transient lodging to interior office space and transit systems, and is recommended for any business concerned about physical accessibility issues. As new laws require increasing design changes for all public-use buildings, this title will serve as a focal point for organizing and explaining ADAAG criteria for everything from retail shops to offices and parking garages. Use this to assess existing sites and change requirements.

3D Studio Architectural Rendering by Brandon Bartlett (Editor), Jesse K. Miguel, Phillip Miller, Peterson, Martha Rowlett To remain one step ahead of your competition, let 3D Studio Architectural Rendering help you to realize the potential of 3D Studio for architectural design. Each chapter presents expert instruction on creating top-notch designs - from working with textures and materials, to creating fly-bys and demo reels. You'll see how to use photographic substitution to create photorealistic exteriors, and how to simulate dramatic, natural lighting to give your designs the perfect finishing touch. Techniques are demonstrated through step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations, and the use of AutoCAD in conjunction with 3D Studio is covered in depth.

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